BRANSON, Mo. – The Lady Bluejays returned to Hillsboro after an eventful weekend in Branson, filled with softball and activities while competing in the Branson Grand Slam Classic. This tournament marked the end of non-conference play for Tabor, as they transition to KCAC competition on Tuesday at McPherson.

Tabor faced five different opponents throughout the weekend, including Mount Marty University, Graceland University, Mission University, Williams Baptist University, and Culver-Stockton College. The Bluejays concluded the weekend with a 4-1 record, with their only loss occurring in extra innings. 

GAME ONE: MOUNT MARTY UNIVERSITY, W 4-0
The Bluejays began tournament play on Thursday afternoon, facing Mount Marty University in their first matchup. Madison Nelson took the mound for Tabor, starting the game with a swift three-up, three-down inning. Tabor answered in the first inning with a single run, as Cheyenne Washington's RBI brought Payten Staley home. 

A two-run homer from Lauren Roberts put Tabor up 3-0 in the second inning as Nelson continued to shut down the Lancer offense. The fourth inning contributed one more run to the Bluejay total with a fielder's choice single from Reese Hefley to send Megan Buerger across the plate. 

Mount Marty struggled to generate momentum and was unable to close the gap, remaining scoreless throughout the game. Nelson secured the win in commanding fashion, throwing a no-hitter to open the Classic.

GAME TWO: GRACELAND UNIVERSITY, W 10-1
On Friday afternoon, the Bluejays faced Graceland University to begin day two of the tournament. Leilani Rios took the mound and proved to be a formidable challenge for the Yellowjackets. Graceland got on the board first while Tabor didn't produce much offensive momentum to begin with. Washington was able to score in the second inning, tying the game at 1-1. 

Tabor went on to be the only team to score throughout the rest of the game, adding six runs to their total in the fourth inning alone. Three more runs were added to finalize the contest in the sixth inning, with Candince Moreno-Hairabedian, Darcy Gillen, and Reyna Enriquez crossing the plate. Rios secured the 10-1 victory on the mound over Graceland to add another win to Tabor's record. 

GAME THREE: MISSION UNIVERSITY, W 7-3
Hoping to keep the bats alive, Tabor faced Mission University in the evening for the second game of day two. It was a slow start for both teams, as the first run came from the Bluejays in the fourth inning with a sacrifice fly from Dessa Zavala to send Mylee Milne home. The fifth inning set the game out of reach for the Patriots as a grand slam from Gillen sent home four runs, while another RBI from Zavala allowed Washington to score.

Mission responded with three runs in the last two innings, leading to a final score of 7-3 with the Bluejays coming out on top. Marisa Carranza took the win on the mound, managing to strike out two batters and forcing 16 groundouts for the Patriots. 

GAME FOUR: WILLIAMS BAPTIST UNIVERSITY, L 4-5
Day three began with an intense matchup against Williams Baptist. The Eagles scored two runs in the first inning, but Tabor answered back with three, highlighted by a three-run homer from Washington in the same inning. Both teams showcased strong defense over the next few innings, keeping the score at 2-3. 

Williams Baptist put up a single run in both the fourth and fifth innings, taking a 4-3 lead until the seventh inning, when Tabor tied it up with an RBI double from Moreno-Hairabedian to send Gillen home. The Eagles were the first to score in extra innings, sending one across the plate. Unfortunately, the Bluejays were unable to respond despite a base hit from Hefley to put Khily Brower on third base. 

Tabor fell short to Williams Baptist 4-5, while Nelson took the loss on the mound for the Bluejays. Nelson showcased an outstanding performance on the weekend, pitching 15 total innings and managing only a single walk. Nelson faced 54 batters and only allowed eight hits and five runs throughout the entire weekend.

GAME FIVE: CULVER-STOCKTON COLLEGE, W 12-4
The Bluejays concluded the Branson Grand Slam Classic with a matchup against Culver-Stockton College following the close loss against Williams Baptist. Carranza took the mound once again for the Bluejays, holding the Wildcats to only four runs on the day. 

Washington hit her second three-run home run of the day in the third inning, giving the Bluejays the lead following a sacrifice fly from Gillen that brought Roberts home. The Wildcats answered with two runs in the bottom of the third, narrowing the gap to 4-2, with the Bluejays still in the lead.

The Wildcats put up two more runs in the fourth inning to tie the game, but Tabor proved to be too much for Culver-Stockton as the Bluejays added eight more runs throughout the rest of the game. Tabor took home the 12-4 victory to wrap up their Branson run. 

RECAP
Outstanding performances by a number of Bluejays throughout the weekend created much excitement for upcoming conference matchups as Tabor now shifts their focus to KCAC opponents. The Bluejays outscored their opponents 37-13 throughout the weekend, showcasing their strong offensive prowess. 

With a strong 4-1 record in Branson, including a commanding no-hitter from Nelson in the opening game and a decisive 12-4 win to close out the weekend, the Bluejays proved their depth and resilience. Washington and Roberts' combined three home runs, along with Gillen's grand slam against Mission, were vital in the positive performance that Tabor exhibited throughout the weekend. 

Tabor faces a quick turnaround as they begin conference play on Tuesday with a double-header at McPherson College. Games are set to start at approximately 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. at Bulldog Park. The games will be livestreamed on the KCAC Network. 

Be sure to stay up to date with all information regarding Bluejay Athletics by following us on X at @gotaborbluejays, on Instagram and Facebook @taborbluejays, and on our official athletic website, taborbluejays.com.

Tabor College is a Christ-centered institution located in Hillsboro, Kansas. The Bluejays are members of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and compete in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC).